- Written by: Gail Simone
- Art by: David Marquez
- Colors by: Matthew Wilson
- Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
- Cover art by: David Marquez, Matthew Wilson (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: May 14, 2025
Uncanny X-Men #14, by Marvel on 5/14/25, brings the assortment of characters back to Haven House when Rogue has a chilly encounter with a dragon and the Outliers meet a traveler from the Past.
Is Uncanny X-Men #14 Good?
Recap
When we left Rogue’s band of mutants in the Big Easy in Uncanny X-Men #13, Gambit took a ride with a dragon to the Savage Land to learn a valuable lesson about holding on to powerful artifacts that could turn you into a cannibal, the Outliers ventured into the swamp to visit a special, underground tomb where they encountered the Man-Thing, and a woman in the past makes the long trip to Louisiana to honor her mother’s memory.
Plot Synopsis
In Uncanny X-Men #14, the plots intersect in the vicinity of Haven House. Remy and the dragon, Saturang, return from the Savage Land. The dragon again asks Remy if he’s willing to give up the Left eye of Agamotto to stave off becoming a cannibal. Remy declines. When they reach the area of Haven House, Saturang is attacked by Rogue because she believes the dragon harmed her husband. Remy falls but lands safely on the ground. Saturang mercifully freezes Rogue to end the fight. Before the dragon departs, it tells Jubilee to visit an old friend who misses her as much as she misses him (Lockheed).
Meanwhile, the Outliers venture deeper into the tomb beneath the swamps but are stopped by Man-Thing. Detathdream explains each one must pass a test of truth and courage to enter a guarded door. Someone or something behind the door is the source of the voice that calls to each of them, bringing them together. Each Outlier gives their name and explains their powers. Calico is the only one who has trouble because she doesn’t want to admit that her real horse died in the house fire that sent her fleeing. She doesn’t know what the horse who accompanies her is. When the Outliers pass into the inner door, they meet the guardian of the tomb, Lady Henrietta.
In the past, Henrietta is greeted by a man at the train station who knows the secret language of mutants. He was sent to give her a ride to Haven House. The two are secretly followed by a pair of armed men calling themselves Sentinels of Purity. When the escort trip ends at a dirt road that requires Henrietta to proceed on foot, the Sentinels ambush her and her driver. When the driver gets in the way, the Sentinels shoot and kill him. Enrage, Henrietta unleashes her power – she can turn into a stony figure who summons rocky golems from the Earth to destroy.
First Impressions
Well, color me surprised. Uncanny X-Men #14 is a decent issue. Gail Simone brings the disparate threads together to spin a tale of generational mutants that could turn out to be something interesting. We shall see.
How’s the Art?
David Marquez brings his A-Game in an issue that mixes old-time dustiness during Henrietta’s adventure in the past and epic superheroes in the present during the fight between Rogue and Saturang. Bonus points to Matthew Wilson for a brilliant use of color tones to separate the past from the present.
What’s great about Uncanny X-Men #14?
To be fair, issue #13 felt oddly disconnected as three separate plots traveled in three separate directions, splitting the focus. In issue #14, Gail Simone efficiently brings the threads together to make the plot feel cohesive and somewhat complex. Gambit’s parley with Saturang still reads as tacked on to fill space and awkwardly foreshadow future events, but the reunion back at Haven House works out.
As a plus, Simone finally gets around to explaining the powerset for the rest of the Outliers. That clarification took much too long to happen, but at least it’s done.
What’s not great about Uncanny X-Men #14?
The issue stumbles on two fronts. One minor problem, and one that’s more persistent. First, Remy’s subplot with Saturang, again, feels tacked on and inorganic to what’s happening with everyone else in the book. Yes, Simone reels it back in, but the subplot makes the issue clunky.
Second, the bigger and more persistent issue is the slow plot pacing and lack of direction. The Outliers and the X-Men spend almost all their time reacting instead of acting. Things happen to them, they deal with the problem, and the team goes back to roughly the same status quo without any growth, development, or large challenges to build anticipation. Marvel has a tendency to overuse the “ongoing superhero comics are soap operas with superpowers” crutch. This series is becoming a prime example of that overuse.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Final Thoughts
Uncanny X-Men #14 is a surprisingly engaging issue that brings the disparate threads together for a more cohesive story. Gail Simone introduces a new character who could be a hero or a villain, but she’s interesting regardless. Plus, David Marquez’s art is outstanding. The series has a major pacing and direction problem, but this issue was a solid read.
7.8/10
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